Armed deputy at Florida high school resigns after failing to engage shooter

By Bernie Woodall

 

A family sits around one of 17 crosses at a memorial for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, February 16, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Reuters) - The armed sheriff's deputy assigned to the Florida high school where 17 people were shot and killed has resigned rather than face suspension after an internal investigation showed he failed to enter the school to confront the gunman during the attack, the county sheriff said on Thursday.

 

Deputy Scott Peterson, who was on duty and in uniform as the resource officer posted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was the only law enforcement officer present at the campus during the six-minute rampage last Wednesday, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.

 

Peterson's actions were caught on video during the massacre, which ranks as the second-deadliest shooting ever at a U.S. public school, carried out by a lone gunman wielding a semiautomatic AR-15-style assault rifle.

 

“What I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of Building 12, take up a position and he never went in,” Israel said, referring to the building on campus, popularly known as the "frehsman building," where authorities said the bulk of the shooting occurred.

 

Israel said he would not release the video at this time and may never do so, “depending on the prosecution and criminal case” against Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old former student who is charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in the assault.

 

Israel told reporters the shooting lasted six minutes, and that Peterson arrived at the freshman building about 90 seconds after the first shots were fired, then lingered outside for at least four minutes.

 

Asked what the deputy should have done, Israel replied, "Went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer."

 

The sheriff said he had decided on the basis of his findings to suspend Peterson, but the deputy resigned first. Israel said two other deputies were placed on restrictive administrative assignment, stemming from their response to numerous calls for service and reports received by the sheriff's department pertaining to Cruz during the past several years.

 

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale; writing by Steve Gorman; editing by Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-23

Whoever it was will live with that shame for the rest of his life. To have been there, with a gun and training, and then done NOTHING reeks of only one thing, and it's not courage. 

35 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Whoever it was will live with that shame for the rest of his life. To have been there, with a gun and training, and then done NOTHING reeks of only one thing, and it's not courage. 

 

But it may be a much longer life...  90 seconds into the attack, he had no clue how many gunmen were involved, or how heavily they were armed.  Going after a guy (or guys) with AR15s, armed only with a sidearm?  Waiting for backup is SOP.  

 

Maybe not admirable, but we don't pay them enough to get shot.

More "Good Guys with Guns" ? 

 

While I feel for this guy who never thought he would actually need to engage an active shooter while he calculated his public pension...when you do take this sort of job you need to know that your role is to protect the public (in this case children) with your own life. He was not cut out to be a law enforcement officer.

At the very least he should have had a look inside and assessed the situation. Probably will have to change his name and address now.

But, but, good guys with guns? The NRA said it would work! Good guys with guns and thoughts and prayers. That’s all we needed right?

 

Who could have predicted this? 

 

Hint, start at the 5 min mark:

 

16 minutes ago, tonray said:

More "Good Guys with Guns" ? 

 

While I feel for this guy who never thought he would actually need to engage an active shooter while he calculated his public pension...when you do take this sort of job you need to know that your role is to protect the public (in this case children) with your own life. He was not cut out to be a law enforcement officer.

But hey, teachers are! 

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

But it may be a much longer life...  90 seconds into the attack, he had no clue how many gunmen were involved, or how heavily they were armed.  Going after a guy (or guys) with AR15s, armed only with a sidearm?  Waiting for backup is SOP.  

 

Maybe not admirable, but we don't pay them enough to get shot.

Yeah, poor guy.  His name is Scot Peterson and he will never live it down.  It was only 4 minutes of his life, but now he'll forever be branded a coward.  Perhaps he should change his name, move to Pattaya, and tell everyone he's a Navy Seal who killed dozens "back in the day." 

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-shooting-sro-20180222-story.html

12 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Yeah, poor guy.  His name is Scot Peterson and he will never live it down.  It was only 4 minutes of his life, but now he'll forever be branded a coward.  Perhaps he should change his name, move to Pattaya, and tell everyone he's a Navy Seal who killed dozens "back in the day." 

 

Agreed.  So easy to Monday morning quarterback when you're not the one running into a building full of an unknown number of guys who are better armed and proven willing to kill.  Not to mention the liability if he were to shoot the wrong students who happened to be running in his direction with something in their hands.   

 

The buck should stop at the Sheriff and Colonel who seem to be throwing a lot of their subordinates under the bus. 

 

another flaw in the bizarre 'arm the teachers' plan.

 

there is a real problem with knife crime in the uk and in schools in the uk. while it is a depressingly difficult situation to address at least everyone who matters; police, government, local authorities, community groups, etc. agree action needs to be taken to get knives off the streets and not 'give more people knives to fight the people with knives'  or 'give the teachers knives so they can get involved in knife fights in school'.

 

the uk is by no means perfect but at least there is some semblance of common sense and national unity when children's lives are at risk.

27 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Agreed.  So easy to Monday morning quarterback when you're not the one running into a building full of an unknown number of guys who are better armed and proven willing to kill.  Not to mention the liability if he were to shoot the wrong students who happened to be running in his direction with something in their hands.   

 

The buck should stop at the Sheriff and Colonel who seem to be throwing a lot of their subordinates under the bus. 

 

BS he's trained and paid to do the job not cower for 4 minutes while kids die. Don't want to go in harms way?  don't become a Police Officer assigned SPECIFICALLY to a school to protect kids in this situation.

Edited February 23, 20188 yr by BobBKK

   Come  on folks, give the poor man a break.

Yes he was paid to protect the children, he failed in his duty, something he will have to live with.

I ask everyone of you condemning the man, what would you have done?

 

Easy to criticize after the event , the poor man froze, could happen to anyone.

The questionable performance of the officer should throw some red flags up for the people who think that arming teachers is a solution.   

 

Police officers go through a lengthy application process, with all kinds of test (physical, psychological, background, drugs etc.), they then attend approximately 6 months of police academy training (it varies from place to place), then usually once they are a police officer they have 4 more months of on-the-job training with a more senior police officer.

 

Now how much training are teachers going to have?

1 minute ago, Credo said:

The questionable performance of the officer should throw some red flags up for the people who think that arming teachers is a solution.   

 

Police officers go through a lengthy application process, with all kinds of test (physical, psychological, background, drugs etc.), they then attend approximately 6 months of police academy training (it varies from place to place), then usually once they are a police officer they have 4 more months of on-the-job training with a more senior police officer.

 

Now how much training are teachers going to have?

Ideally none, surely?

 

The whole point of the NRA is to take away any form of regulation and government interference in the ownership of guns.

 

Why should a teacher have to conform to a higher standard than someone protecting their home? That would be a deprivation of liberty from the teachers perspective. There is never a good argument for the regulation of carrying a gun, so the NRA tells us. To do so takes us down the path of tyranny, a decent minimum wage and universal health coverage and no gun massacres.

 

Training teachers simply can't be tolerated.  

 

 

I'm very reluctant to attribute any blame or excoriate this deputy from afar. Combat fighting requires intense, specialized training.

 

 

Combat Veterans Think Arming Teachers Is A Really, Really Bad Idea

 

“There is a gulf between being taught how to handle a weapon, and learning to fight. Those are two distinct things,” Brandon Friedman, a former Army captain who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and later served in the Obama administration, told BuzzFeed News. “And learning how to fight, how to stand your ground when an aggressor is trying to kill you, that’s not something that comes naturally to people.”

 

Learning how to fight takes training — military training.

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/verabergengruen/combat-veterans-think-arming-teachers-is-a-really-really?bftwnews&utm_term=.la2GG4jr0#.ouyXXb8EM

40 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

I'm very reluctant to attribute any blame or excoriate this deputy from afar. Combat fighting requires intense, specialized training.

 

 

Combat Veterans Think Arming Teachers Is A Really, Really Bad Idea

 

“There is a gulf between being taught how to handle a weapon, and learning to fight. Those are two distinct things,” Brandon Friedman, a former Army captain who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and later served in the Obama administration, told BuzzFeed News. “And learning how to fight, how to stand your ground when an aggressor is trying to kill you, that’s not something that comes naturally to people.”

 

Learning how to fight takes training — military training.

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/verabergengruen/combat-veterans-think-arming-teachers-is-a-really-really?bftwnews&utm_term=.la2GG4jr0#.ouyXXb8EM

 

Indeed and trained he was having joined the Police Force in 1985 then further training specifically for schools and then assigned to a school. Your quote is for teachers a VERY different subject from the Police Officer, armed and trained, at his place of work (the school). It will be difficult for him to live with, it all came down to these 6 minutes, all his training and expertise but he was the only one there armed and he froze and resigned (as he should).

Well, he'll have to live with them minutes of inaction for the rest of his life. And, yes, probably move somewhere else. Not going to change one bit for the victims and their families, obviously, but it's not an enticing future he's facing. Unless there's some book/movie deal in there, somewhere.

 

It is all too easy criticizing others for failing to act in extreme situations, all the more so if they were supposedly trained (more or less) to deal with such. Until one is up against the real thing, though, hard to know for sure how you'll react. I think at least some of the outrage expressed is related to trust - the feeling that those tasked with protection cannot be relied upon. Wonder if that's not a nice sales pitch for the NRA, too.

 

Arming teachers is obviously nonsense. Other than lack of training, raising the chances for accidents, and wacko teachers being served with means - what if a teacher just isn't into it (for ideological or whichever reasons)? Probably some constitutional issues there as well.

1 hour ago, BobBKK said:

Your quote is for teachers a VERY different subject from the Police Officer, armed and trained, at his place of work (the school).

 

I guess if he had SWAT training, along with some real-fire experience, and was suitably armed/protected (body armor and a long gun) then I might feel free to do some Monday-morning quarterbacking on his situational performance?

 

While a lot of the recent mass shootings have been solo gunman, Columbine did involve two shooters. Without any sort of intelligence, say from video monitors, it may be challenging to determine the number of shooters, and storming in with a 7-shot handgun might even make a horrible situation worse.

 

 

28 minutes ago, Morch said:

Well, he'll have to live with them minutes of inaction for the rest of his life. And, yes, probably move somewhere else. Not going to change one bit for the victims and their families, obviously, but it's not an enticing future he's facing. Unless there's some book/movie deal in there, somewhere.

 

It is all too easy criticizing others for failing to act in extreme situations, all the more so if they were supposedly trained (more or less) to deal with such. Until one is up against the real thing, though, hard to know for sure how you'll react. I think at least some of the outrage expressed is related to trust - the feeling that those tasked with protection cannot be relied upon. Wonder if that's not a nice sales pitch for the NRA, too.

 

Arming teachers is obviously nonsense. Other than lack of training, raising the chances for accidents, and wacko teachers being served with means - what if a teacher just isn't into it (for ideological or whichever reasons)? Probably some constitutional issues there as well.

All of that is true but one has to wonder 'what if his daughter was in there'?  very difficult for families to accept an armed, trained officer of the law not intervening whilst your kid is gunned down mercilessly. 

 

Of course it's trust, what's the point of having an armed responder there who does not respond?  He was armed and trained and the Sheriff was right, get in there and kill that scum.

Just now, mtls2005 said:

 

I guess if he had SWAT training, along with some real-fire experience, and was suitably armed/protected (body armor and a long gun) then I might feel free to do some Monday-morning quarterbacking on his situational performance?

 

While a lot of the recent mass shootings have been solo gunman, Columbine did involve two shooters. Without any sort of intelligence, say from video monitors, it may be challenging to determine the number of shooters, and storming in with a 7-shot handgun might even make a horrible situation worse.

 

 

 

Fine but not according to his boss who knows a lot more about the situation and the departments SOP's than you or I and, if this were the case, why suspend and why resign?  now they are saying they won't release the video and why?  possibly shows the guy cowering behind concrete? 

 

I respect and love the Police and doubt they'll collect much for his retirement gift.

Sounds like he is a bit of a coward. Parents of the dead kids will see this guy in court. 

10 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Sounds like he is a bit of a coward. Parents of the dead kids will see this guy in court. 

 

He that is without fear among you, let him cast the first stone...

33 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 

Fine but not according to his boss who knows a lot more about the situation and the departments SOP's than you or I and, if this were the case, why suspend and why resign?  now they are saying they won't release the video and why?  possibly shows the guy cowering behind concrete? 

 

I respect and love the Police and doubt they'll collect much for his retirement gift.

One gets the impression his 'boss' is playing politics and throwing the guy under a bus. One officer protecting a school of 45 acres, no mention if he was suitable armed etc - trying to save his own arse more like

5 hours ago, impulse said:

 

But it may be a much longer life...  90 seconds into the attack, he had no clue how many gunmen were involved, or how heavily they were armed.  Going after a guy (or guys) with AR15s, armed only with a sidearm?  Waiting for backup is SOP.  

 

Maybe not admirable, but we don't pay them enough to get shot.

 

If it's SOP, why was he about to be suspended without pay? And why has the Sheriff been so critical?

Cant help anybody if he is shoot dead...

 

Never seen "Armed Response" here in the UK work alone.

 

Just the NRA propaganda machine blaming the poor sod instead of America's gun laws that allows any fruit cake to walking to a gun shop and walk out with weapons of mass destruction...

I am really torn about this arming teachers thing. I recognise that it has the potential for bad outcomes but if a teacher is cowering in a classroom with all their kids and the shooter comes in; without the armed teacher the conclusion is a formality, but a teacher with nothing to lose might just get off a few good shots to end the situation.

Teachers would not be forced into being armed. Some would want to, some not.

The theory of course is that potential shooters would be less likely to target a school if they knew teachers were armed.

The USA is not going to become gun free, so other measures need to be entertained.

36 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

The theory of course is that potential shooters would be less likely to target a school if they knew teachers were armed.

1) Since these people are nutters who usually end up dead one way or the other, that theory might be flawed.

 

2) If the nutters are indeed concerned about their welfare and fear being shot back at, will they simply say to themselves, "oh well, there goes my dream of killing a load of students in a school, back to the day job it is then..."? Or will they simply choose another location that has a mass of people?

 

Say for example they start targeting cinemas. What then? A call for all the ice cream ladies and ushers to be armed? Where will it end?

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

If it's SOP, why was he about to be suspended without pay? And why has the Sheriff been so critical?

 

The Sheriff's a butthole?...  Keep in mind Sheriff is often an elected position, and he's probably pandering for votes by throwing this guy under a bus.

 

LEO training doesn't prepare anyone to charge at a shooter.  That takes military indoctrination.

 

Edited February 23, 20188 yr by impulse

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

If it's SOP, why was he about to be suspended without pay? And why has the Sheriff been so critical?

And why did he RESIGN before a hearing could be held?  and, more importantly, the Sheriff was hinting that the CCTV he has of this deputy 'can never be released' (i.e. hinting it shows him cowering in a corner or something like that).

7 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

The Sheriff's a butthole?...  Keep in mind Sheriff is often an elected position, and he's probably pandering for votes by throwing this guy under a bus.

 

LEO training doesn't prepare anyone to charge at a shooter.  That takes military indoctrination.

 

https://www.lawenforcementedu.net/deputy-sheriff/become-deputy-sheriff/

 

close combat training +++